The invention relates to an acoustic apparatus which comprises a detachable combination of a radio set and a tape recorder, and more particularly to such apparatus which comprises a detachable combination of a monaural tape recorder or a monaural radio set having circuit elements such as a stereophonic head, FM multiplexer or the like but individually incapable of performing the stereophonic function intended by such elements, with another radio set or tape recorder.
A tape recorder with radio set is one of those articles which are under rapid development, in particular since the advent of the cassette tape. This is attributable to the fact that the use of a cassette tape permits the recorder to be constructed in a compact form, thereby rendering it portable. The provision of a radio set together with the recorder permits a selective use of the radio set and the tape recorder, as desired, and also permits a broadcasting program selected by the radio set to be recorded on the tape. However, while the tape recorder with radio set is in wide-spread use, their combined construction increases the composite weight, which is inconvenient for portable use. Specifically, if the composite apparatus is carried about only for the purpose of using the tape recorder, the user must also convey an unnecessary radio set. Such inconvenience will be even greater if several other functions are incorporated into the tape recorder which is provided with a radio set, since the added mechanism or electrical circuit increases the overall bulk and hence the weight.
An acoustic apparatus is already proposed by the present applicant in which a separate radio set and a tape recorder can be detachably coupled together. In this manner, a desired function can be performed by carrying about only one of them. Such combination permits a choice of operation among a single unit operation as a usual radio set or tape recorder when they are coupled together and when they are separated from each other, a recording of the radio output by the tape recorder when they are coupled together, and a playback of the output from the tape recorder by the radio set when they are coupled together. The purpose of providing such an acoustic apparatus is to provide a compact structure of the tape recorder convenient for portable use. A miniature tape recorder utilizing a miniature tape cassette is already known, which can be advantageously incorporated into the tape recorder of the acoustic apparatus. With this apparatus, only the necessary portion may be carried about to perform an intended operation, thus removing the weight of the unnecessary portion and without an accompanying loss in the functions of a usual tape recorder with radio set.